Rotherhamvs.Barnsley

A four-match winless run has seen the hosts drop back down to 14th spot, while their visitors have quickly fallen 10 points behind the playoff places in the midst of a six-match winless streak.

Match preview

Rotherham United head into the weekend in the midst of another rut in what has been a particularly underwhelming first season back in League One thus far.

Aiming to challenge for promotion straight back up to the Championship, the Millers sit 14th having only earned 38 points from their 31 games, winning just 10 of those and losing 13.

Steve Evans's side did show signs of improvement around the turn of the year, beginning a climb towards the top half with four wins and 16 points from a seven-match span between late December and late January, but they have since added just one more point to their tally in four more attempts.

Following back-to-back 2-1 defeats to Birmingham City and Shrewsbury Town and a goalless stalemate with Blackpool, the South Yorkshire outfit most recently visited playoff-chasing Reading at the weekend and came away empty-handed, as Harvey Knibbs snatched all three points for the hosts with a 94th-minute penalty after Sam Nombe had levelled for the Millers from the spot.

Now sitting 14th in England's third tier, three points outside of the top half and five behind Saturday's visitors and 10th spot, Rotherham United will hope to end their rut on Saturday and begin a climb in the final third of the campaign.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the short trip to the New York Stadium aiming to keep any faint playoff hopes alive after their worst run of the league campaign.

Barnsley maintained a strong position in their bid for a third consecutive top-six finish in League One throughout the entirety of the first half of the campaign, sitting sixth in early January on 42 points from 25 outings following a run of four straight wins.

Darrell Clarke's side have since suffered a rapid fall away from the playoff spots, though, having lost five and drawn one of their last six attempts, conceding 10 goals and only scoring four along the way.

Following the only point in that run, a goalless draw with Burton Albion, the Reds have again suffered back-to-back defeats heading into the weekend, falling to 2-1 losses away at Stockport and at home to Huddersfield Town, as Josh Koroma and Ben Wiles turned the game around for the latter after Jon Russell had Clarke's side ahead.

Having now fallen to 11th spot with a 10-point gap to sixth place, Barnsley know that any faint hopes of remaining in the playoff hunt in the run-in are heavily dependent of a winning run and other results going their way, and they will be desperate to kickstart that in Saturday's Yorkshire derby.

Rotherham United League One form:

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W

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Rotherham United form (all competitions):

W

L

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D

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Barnsley League One form:

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D

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Team News

Rotherham United will remain without defenders Cohen Bramall and Sean Raggett and midfielders Shaun McWilliams and Alex MacDonald due to injury issues on Saturday, although their concerns have eased in recent weeks with Jonson Clarke-Harris and Mallik Wilks fit to feature off the bench last time out after their own layoffs.

Clarke-Harris, Wilks and Andre Green will all compete to come into the attack at the weekend, after top scorer Sam Nombe was joined by Jordan Hugill and supported by Louie Sibley in their trip to Reading.

Centre-back Cameron Humphreys should continue in his new role at the base of the midfield alongside Joe Powell and January arrival Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, leaving Hakeem Odoffin to join Zak Jules at the heart of the defence.

Barnsley will remain without attackers Fabio Jalo and Max Watters due to ongoing injuries, although they will welcome back Marc Roberts and key midfielders Luca Connell and Adam Phillips on Saturday.

Roberts may have to settle for a place on the bench if Darrell Clarke continues with a back three of Mael de Gevigney, Donovan Pines and Josh Earl.

Connell and Phillips should come back into the centre from the start, though, likely joining Jon Russell in a trio and leaving Stephen Humphrys, Bastia loanee Clement Rodrigues and top scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn, who leads the squad with 11 goals this term, to compete for two attacking spots.

Rotherham United possible starting lineup:

Phillips; Rafferty, Odoffin, Jules, James; Mpanzu, Humphreys, Powell; Green; Nombe, Wilks

Barnsley possible starting lineup:

Gauci; De Gevigney, Pines, Earl; O'Keefe, Phillips, Connell, Russell, Farrugia; Keillor-Dunn, Humphrys

We say: Rotherham United 1-1 Barnsley

Saturday's meeting promises to be an intriguing one between two sides desperate to kickstart turnarounds with a victory over their Yorkshire rivals.

Written by

Sam Varley

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